Hibbett Named National Offensive Player of the Week by USA Football
For the third time this week, Carson-Newman football running back Andy Hibbett (Corryton, Tenn.) has been honored for his near record-breaking performance from Saturday's 48-20 win over Mars Hill
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – For the third time this week, Carson-Newman football running back Andy Hibbett (Corryton, Tenn.) has been honored for his near record-breaking performance from Saturday's 48-20 win over Mars Hill.
Hibbett has been named the USA Football National Offensive Player of the Week with Angelo State quarterback Kyle Washington after Hibbett rushed for 191 yards on seven carries last Saturday. He adds the honor to his trophy case with a AstroTurf South Atlantic Conference Offensive Player of the Week from the league office and Bojangles' Male Athlete of the Week from the C-N athletic department.
At 27.3 yards per rush, Hibbett turned in the second highest tally in Carson-Newman football history for a single game among players with at least five rushes.
The senior from Gibbs High School raced for scores from 58, 65 and 55 yards away. His trio of touchdowns moves him into a tie for 10th on Carson-Newman's all-time rushing touchdown list with Nate Inman.
Hibbett joins Kenneth Tyson as the only Carson-Newman running back with three rushing touchdowns longer, each longer than 50 yards. Tyson accomplished that against Fairmont State during the 1987 season in a 42-21 Eagle win over the Falcons.
Hibbett's 191 yards on the ground were five away from his career high that he set earlier this season against Wayne State. He has gone over the century mark in four consecutive games, joining Brandon Baker (2012), Buck Wakefield (2009) and Tyrone Westmoreland (1997) as the only Carson-Newman tailbacks to rush for 100 yards or more in four consecutive weeks.
Wakefield holds the school record for consecutive 100-yard rushing performances with five straight to close out the 2009 season – among those were a school record 332 yards against Tusculum and 303 yards against Wingate.
The Eagles are off this week before returning to action Oct. 18 at Tusculum. Kickoff for the contest is set for 2:30 p.m. from Pioneer Field with pregame coverage beginning on the Eagle Sports Network at 1: 30 p.m. on Joy 620 (WRJZ-AM, Knoxville), Mountain Country 106.3 (WPFT-FM, Sevierville) and online at cneagles.com/live.